


A Different Life

by aamaurot



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: A!WoL, Emet-Selch, Warrior of Light - Freeform, amaurotine!wol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25484215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aamaurot/pseuds/aamaurot
Summary: ~ although this was written before 5.3 dropped, it is still based in 5.3, so here's a warning ~a headcanon/theory i've had about if our WoL died.inspired by an interview with yoshi-p about if emet-selch was truly dead
Kudos: 4





	A Different Life

A final blow.

That's all it took.

In one swift motion, Elidibus's axe connected with Iszy's skull.

The au ra did not recognise any pain. Instead, he felt content. Was it over? Had he failed? It was all dark, he couldn't see.

"Hel?" His voice was desperate. Surely his husband could hear him? Was he by his side? It was dark. He couldn't see. 

"Hel, can you hear me?" His voice became more desperate.

"Even after all this time… you two are still inseperable." A familar voice spoke in the darkness. It wasn't Hel… it was.

Someone else.

"Hel?" Iszy called out again. He knew it wasn't his husband, but he had hope.

In the distance, Iszy could hear a single drop of water. It had a rhythm to it, but he couldn't quite make it out.

"Not quite. But he's waiting for you."

In the distance, in the dark, stood a robed man. Iszy could just about make out the long white hair that escaped from his hood. 

Star like lights began to illuminate one by one; thousands of different colours. A spectacle Iszy had never seen before.

The au ra looked back to the robed figure, and noticed that he was stood over him. Was Iszy on the ground?

"Here." A hand extended to the au ra, and Iszy had no hesitation to take invitation and get up.

More stars began to illuminate, but Iszy had a feeling that these were something else.

"Where am I?" The au ra looked around, his eyes following as more and more lights came to show. 

"The Underworld. Or I suppose you know it better as the lifestream." The robed figure shrugged. "Where souls roam."

Iszy blinked, then looked back to the robed figure. In the light, he could finally see that the figure was masked. He resembled an Amaurotine shade, but… Something told him it was more than a shade.

"So I'm dead?"

The robed figure shrugged once again, a smirk on his lips. "Who knows. But it's interesting to see the emissary finally take you out where we failed. I thought it would be impossible, you being… well… Who you are."

Iszy furrowed his brows, staring towards the figure. "I'm sorry? You seem to insinuate that you know me personally?"

"Ah. More than personally, you could say. Though, I know more about your soul than you yourself."

This took the au ra by surprise. "My soul?" This was all moving too fast. "Wait-"

The robed figure bowed, showing his mask in all its glory. A red, crescent moon that was on its side, with two thin white lines going from either side. Not long after, a sigil appeared over the top of it. One that Iszy could not soon forget…

The au ra swiftly went to grasp the large greatsword that usually accompanied him, but had not accounted for his sword being missing. Only his armour had followed him into the lifestream.

"Hades, or you may know me better as Emet-Selch." The figure's smirk had been replaced by a smile instead. A genuine one?

Iszy furrowed his brows again. He stared at the other robed figure, but he was unsure what to think. Did he trust him? Did he have a reason not to trust him? If what he's saying is true… Iszy is already dead.

"Why are you here?" Of all the questions, Iszy could only muster this one.

"Your soul." Emet-Selch responded.

"In a different time, you and I. We were… close." Slight hesitation came from Emet-Selch during the final word. "Inseperable, really." 

Iszy had his suspicions about what Emet-Selch was saying, but remained silent. If he truly was dead, maybe it was for the best to appreciate company in this vast nothingness.

"In my time. In Amaurot's prime, that is." Emet-Selch announced. He tapped his chin. "It's strange. I cannot seem to find the words to explain to you who you were. What you were."

Iszy continued to stare, watching his every movement. He had no reason to trust him, after what he had done before Iszy had slain him.

Emet-Selch sighed. "If it helps, I do not have any hard feelings about you. About you killing me. It was bound to happen. After all, you are the infamous Ascian slayer." 

"So if I listen to you," Iszy spoke up finally. "That you tell me what my soul meant to you back in Amaurot…" The au ra paused. "How do I know that you are not lying?"

Emet-Selch sighed once again, rubbing the top of his mask. "When I accompanied you on The First, I did not tell a single lie. You found every single truth; about Hydaelyn and Zodiark, about Amaurot, through me. Why should I lie to you now you are in the lifestream? I cannot kill you here, I cannot crush your soul."

Iszy remained silent. The ascian was right. He hadn't lied to him.

Emet-Selch stared at the au ra. A small hum came from him, and a grin on his lips. "It feels a bit nostalgic if I'm to be honest." The ascian shrugged. "It had been so long since the two of us could be alone again. Though I know it's impossible in his current state, I like to imagine that you're still in there, Ademus." 

Iszy tilted his head and furrowed his brows. A question was on his tongue. Ademus? 

The ascian sighed, not hearing anything from Iszy. He turned his back to the au ra and began to muse.

"Ademus was the fourteenth member of the convocation. Originally, there was only thirteen. But after the final days - the illusion you saw - we needed an extra. One of us who had been doing research into creating great beings, and even giving the star a will of its own." Emet-Selch reminisced. "It seemed like the most perfect plan at the time."

"He was a great arcanist." Emet-Selch continued. "Had taught even myself things." 

The ascian looked back. "He was my brother." A pause. "You were my brother - Ademus."

Iszy furrowed his brows once again. He remained silent. What could he say? What could he do?

"That is why we are connected. Because you were my twin brother Ademus in our prime. You are not him, you are making that certain here. But the colour of your soul. It soothes me."

Iszy squinted. "A shade in your illusion had mentioned I had a coloured soul. That he and yourself were close. I thought it was something you set up to catch me off guard. It's true then?"

"Hythlodaeus could see colours of souls as well, though not as well as I." Emet-Selch nodded. "You met him in my illusion, then?"

"Something like that. He spoke to me whilst I waited for access to The Capitol." Iszy spoke nonchalantly. He was still not sure what to think of Emet-Selch's words, but… He couldn't deny that it was nice to talk to him again.

"Even now Hythlodaeus plays pranks on me." Emet-Selch sighed.

It was a few moments of silence. Iszy had luckily laxed himself. The fact that Emet-Selch was wearing different clothing seemed to soothe him, more than what he was used to when he spent time with him on The First.

"Ademus was my brother," Emet-Selch started again. "And his lover was Lhitherie." 

"Lhitherie? My Amaurot self had a lover?" Iszy raised a brow.

"Not much has changed." Emet-Selch spoke. "Fate has been kind to yourself and Lhitherie." He hummed.

"What do you mean by that?" Iszy tensed. He's only ever loved Hel, and learning that his past self loved another somehow upset him. 

Emet-Selch peered up at the sky. A sigh escaped his lips. "Your time is not up yet. You are not meant to be in here for long."

"Wait!-" Iszy spoke, but was interrupted by Emet-Selch removing his mask and hood.

Long white hair followed behind, and not much changed in Emet-Selch's face from what Iszy recognised of Solus, but it seemed softer, and the third Garlean eye was missing.

"I hope you'll not forget who you were, Iszy. I know I never will."

A genuine smile rested on his lips, but his eyes were sad. Iszy was confused, time not yet up?

It went dark again.

Emet-Selch had disappeared. The stars had disappeared. The sound of the water dripping had been replaced by chattering and what seemed to be several people moving at once.

"Hades?" A groan escaped Iszy's mouth.

Helith'ir's ears twitched. "Wow, okay. You almost die and the first words that come out of your mouth were 'Hades'?" A playful tone was on his lips.

Iszy's eyes opened upon hearing his husband. What he expected to see was a miqo'te with bright red hair, and big fluffy ears that Iszy loved to rub.

Instead he saw a man wearing a golden mask, with long bright red hair tucked into a plait, falling over his left shoulder.

He spoke with Hel's voice, but… It was not Helith'ir.

"... Lhitherie." Iszy spoke under his breath. It was not him who spoke. But someone else.

A few seconds after and his vision had gone back to normal. 

The short haired miqo'te with big ears was sat in front of him on his bed. His big round eyes stared right into Iszy's own. A few tears had gone down his cheeks recently. Tears of joy?

"Man, how hard did that axe hit you on the head?" Helith'ir joked. He wiped away the tears from his cheeks, beaming a smile at his husband. "My name is Helith'ir. Not Hades. Not Lhitherie. Helith'ir!"

Iszy blinked. "Hel.." He spoke softly. 

"Yep. Hel--"

It did not take long for the au ra to wrap his arms around the smaller miqo'te and drag him into his chest. Was it Emet-Selch who gave him the chance to come back to see his husband again?

If it was…

Thank you Emet-Selch. I won't forget.


End file.
